The self-employed, and workers at businesses not offering health insurance, will need to file paperwork showing what they estimate their family might make in income over the next couple years. The deadline for avoiding Obamacare fines is December 25, 2013 although open enrollment is available until March 31, 2014. You must have health insurance by January 1, 2014 in order for the Obamacare penalty to not kick in. But beware that Obamacare subsidies come packaged with Obamacare fines in the form of tax surprises if your estimates are too far off.

The Obamacare penalty for an adult is $95 and $47.50 per child. The Obamacare individual mandate makes Americans liable for up to two additional dependents. For a family of four the Obamacare fines jump to $285 or one percent of the family income, whichever is greater. But over time the Obamacare fines will be getting higher. In 2015, the Obamacare fines will be $325 per person, or two percent of taxable income. In 2016, the Obamacare penalty maxes at $695 per person, $2,085 for the family, or 2.5 percent of taxable income. That adds up to $173.75 per month.

But government officials in charge of implementing the Affordable Care Act are worried Obamacare fines are “not significant enough to push people to buy coverage.” But some Americans are worried about affording healthcare insurance at all, never mind the Obamacare fines. Sandra Czop of Illinois says, “I would love to have insurance, but we just don’t have the money. We need that $100 to put food on the table. We have no money to put gas in the car.”

The only good news is that Obamacare fines can be dodged pretty easily because Affordable Care Act exemptions are extremely broad. The IRS isn’t (yet) allowed to pursue “any criminal prosecution or penalty” for ignoring Obamacare’s individual mandate. Obamacare exemptions include religious objections to purchasing insurance (mostly intended for the Amish), purchasing Obamacare alternatives, being too poor to afford insurance, being too old combined with a low income, or being a Native American (who are part of a separate healthcare system).

Do you think Obamacare fines are too high a penalty for ignoring the Affordable Care Act?